Duelist World Grande
by UnicornAbyss
Summary: Having graduated high school, the gang moves forward into adulthood. Not before one last great Duelist Tournament of course. The Duelist World Grande seeks to be the biggest spectacle Duel Monsters has ever known. A great evil plans to use the tournament for its own end, and the whole world is once again at stake.
1. Chapter 1

_So, the start of my first published Fanfiction._

 _Schedules? We'll see. Depends on how things go. I hope once a week._

 _The story itself? If I actually finish it, it will be long. Like more of Harry Potter book than say a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book._

 _The focus: Honestly on many characters. Kind of a mash of head cannon and such. Mostly I would say it centers on Yugi, Ryou, and for those out there who know me not so surprisingly Bakura, and Bakura. Or, more specifically, the Thief King and the Yami Bakura._

 _Summary- A new tournament brings Yugi out of Domino City and towards an island in the tropics. The promise of new cards, the closest thing to a vacation he's had in years, and a last hurrah before starting college proves to be too much._

 _At first things seem grand, but of course that can only last for so long. There is an evil afoot, and it is determined to do great harm._

"What am I doing?"

The question was one that had been plaguing Yugi for nearly a week now. Ever since he had dialed the number specified on the paper and confirmed that he was indeed going to go. Even with the cheerful and excited tones of the woman who spoke Japanese as a second or maybe even third language in his ear the doubts had plagued him. Worries had rattled around in his brain like bees trapped in a cup. The _know better_ had poked and prodded him even as he had dutifully written down the information she gave him.

"Is there something the matter, sir? May I help you?"

Yugi blushed in surprise and embarrassment as a flight attendant paused by his seat. A kind but worried smile pulled at her red painted lips. Realizing she had overheard he rubbed the back of his head anxiously and tried to explain himself.

"Oh, no! I'm fine. I'm fine. Just thinking aloud."

"If you are quite sure." The woman said with a slight bow.

Then she was off. Shuffling past the curtain into the next class. Leaving Yugi to glanced about and wonder if anyone else had heard him as well. He called down a little as he noticed the guy in the seat next to him was sound asleep. He'd pulled his seat up into a bed and it was only by leaning forward that Yugi could really see him. Judging by the fact he hadn't put up the privacy partisan he likely hadn't meant to fall asleep. To his other side a woman was sitting up and had a pair of headphones hooked into a twenty-three inch screen. He couldn't see what she was watching, but was content that she obviously hadn't noted.

The teen sighed as he leaned back and closed his violet eyes. The luxury around him honestly did nothing for the guilt that ate at his stomach.

'I should be back at the Kame Shop helping grandpa. Not flying around the world.' He thought to himself.

He should have been preparing for his first day at junior college. He should have been pricing and getting his text books, double checking what supplies he might need, and maybe looking at getting some new clothes so that he looked the part of a student and not like some bum who wondered in off of the streets.

The more he worried the more he heard his grandfather's voice. The old man using a stern tone that had become increasingly rare to him as the years went by. Yet Yugi could almost see him standing before him now with his 'some days' cane in one hand and a stern finger pointed right at him. As usual he was still in his denim overalls with one of his button up shirts under it that sometimes left customers wondering if he were a farmer at some point in his life.

" _Now you look here, Yugi,"_ He would say with a fire in his eyes, _"I will not have you chaining yourself to this store. You've got years ahead of you! Enjoy them! Go to this tournament, and have fun!_ "

It was a little ironic to think about it. When he was a freshman in high school he had hardly needed anyone to demand he go to a tournament. Especially one like this where it seemed as if the competition would be fierce, the prizes absolutely mouth watering, and the down time was promised to practically be a vacation. Who could say no to going to a private island with its own theme park, over three miles of beach, and complimentary hotel rooms? That was just scratching the surface according to the nearly dozen pamphlets he had in his bag that he had planned to read along the way.

"Sir?"

Yugi glanced up at another flight attendant standing outside of the privacy wall. She had an apologetic look but a kind smile.

She offered Yugi a rather fancy looking piece of laminated paper that turned out to be a menu, "We will be serving lunch in and hour. Please, look over the menu and I shall return to take your order."

Before Yugi could thank her she gave a slight bow and was scurrying off to the next seat. Her wording was nearly robotic even if her tone seemed genuine. Which was better than the menu. While the words were in Japanese the names of the foods were almost exotic. Their descriptions often sounding delicious and detailing the strenuous effort put into it to ensure the works of the chefs was appreciated. The prices off to the side made his stomach turn.

He put the menu into a pocket to his side and decided to try to focus on something else. Only to have nature tap him on the shoulder and remind him that he had been on the plane for awhile now. It had been nearly two hours since takeoff. He had also had a lot to drink for breakfast. The coffee at the restaurant the man who had picked him up at the Kame Game Shop had treated him to had been too good. Now it had worked its way through his system and was ready to have its leave.

He glanced up only to find he couldn't see the restroom from his seat. So he stood up and, after making sure no one was walking the aisle, looked for the bathroom. He found it. The light above it red to indicate that it was occupied.

For a moment Yugi debated waiting. There was no telling how long they had been in there. Maybe they would be out soon?

His bladder did not agree. With every passing second the pressure grew and something else was joining it. Yugi was quickly realizing that maybe having six cups of coffee before flying wasn't the greatest of ideas.

'Well, there's another one in the next class.' He thought to himself with a huff.

He turned around and walked down the aisle. Pushing past the curtain he didn't have to look far to find the restroom. The light was green. No one seemed to be making a move for it. Yugi tried not to look worried as he all but ran for it.

"Yugi?"

At first Yugi wasn't going to stop. He wanted the bathroom. He needed the bathroom. He had to get to that bathroom before some old man or some woman with a baby did! He could not afford to wait!

Except he recognized the voice.

Turning, Yugi felt a smile light up his face naturally. A smiling failure face met him. Ivory hair framed a handsome face. The clothes were of an...odd fashion but certainly towards the formal casual side. Chocolate brown eyes held a great amount of joy and no small amount of confusion.

"Oh, it is you! I hardly recognized you for…" Ryou looked uncomfortable.

Yugi realize he wasn't quite certain if it were a subject he should approach. Whether Yugi might find it rude or not.

"Um, I will tell you in a second. Just excuse me for a moment." Yugi said before scurrying off towards the bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later Yugi was sitting next to Ryou and the man who had been sitting in the seat found himself with a first class seat.

The two quickly fell deeply into conversation. The first topic Yugi's new hairstyle. One that he himself didn't particularly appreciate. Yet it was necessary.

"When I went to apply for classes I was told that they don't allow dyed or radically styled hairstyles." Yugi said.

Ryou looked quite surprised, "But your hair is natural!"

"I tried to explain that to them. I even showed them a few pictures of my father and my grandfather. You know, it's a Moto trait! They argued that it would be too much trouble explaining that to students. So." Yugi gestured to his hair.

His once multi-hued hair was now jet black. The brilliant spikes that had once added so many inches to his height had to be retained. Hours of flat ironing and a little band kept his locks just behind his head. Without the band they would have fallen to his shoulders just as flatly as Ryou's hair did his. In a way it felt as if someone had taken from Yugi a part of him. Sometimes when he looked in the mirror it was as if he were looking at someone entirely different.

"I guess I should just count myself lucky that they didn't decide that it has to be a certain length too." Yugi added.

"Me and you both." Ryou sighed.

The two were silent for a moment in quite reflection. Yugi had no idea of what Ryou was thinking of, but he found his own mind circling back to the fact that he now called his friend by his first name.

Really it was kind of funny in a way. Ryou had been a close friend of his sense freshman year despite the fact that he had help a Millennium Item possessed by an evil spirit that wished to see his demise. Well, technically the demise of the spirit in the Millennium Item he had possessed and everyone associated with that spirit, but in the end it was practically the same thing. The point was that Yugi and Ryou were friends and had been friends for years now.

Yet it had only been in the last year or so that he and Ryou had grown so close that he had felt comfortable calling Ryou by his first name. Up until senior year he had just not felt that it was...well he had felt as if he hadn't deserved it. Every time he saw Ryou's face he had looked back at their Freshman year and wondered what he could have done differently. How he could have been a better friend. Maybe, just maybe, if he had intervened rather than allowing Ryou to politely walk away with his quite assurances that everything would be fine then things might not have happened the way they did.

There was of course that little voice somewhere in the back of his mind that said if he had done so it might have gotten worse. He tried to ignore that voice.

Now he sat on a plane with Ryou by his side and he felt many of his earlier worries beginning to melt away. It was kind of like having knives being drawn from his back by an expert who did it in such a way that not a drop of blood escaped and the wounds healed painlessly. With a friend by his side he didn't feel nearly as guilty that he had left his grandfather to take care of the shop again by himself. There wasn't that pushing sensation that he was failing adulthood because he wasn't currently focusing only and entirely on his final education and his employment.

For the first time since he had dialed that number and accepted the invention Yugi was beginning to feel as if he had made the right choice.

"So, Yugi? Have you decided who your teammate is going be?"

"Teammate?" Yugi questioned in surprise.

Ryou nodded with a smile. Then, after a few seconds of nothing, he seemed to realize Yugi had no clue what he was speaking of. His expression went almost comically flat and his eyes accusing.

"You never read the pamphlets did you?"

"Honestly, I only decided that I was going to come yesterday." Yugi admitted.

He had wanted to read the pamphlets when he first got the package, but had decided it would be a bad idea. Adulthood was calling and the letter had been clear enough that the tournament would be outside of Japan. As per what he had decided when he had graduated highs school Yugi had no intention of going so far for Duel Monster tournament any longer. Work, school, and adulthood came first. Yugi hadn't needed the temptation.

Then his grandfather had found it all in the trash and decided that it was a perfect last hurrah before beginning junior college. Somehow the old man had somehow even convinced his mother. Then between the two they had steadily rubbed on him for day. In a way he was reminded of being a tree and his mother and grandfather had been working a two man saw on him. Eventually he'd had to reluctantly give. Though that had only been Wednesday night.

"I didn't think they would even have time for me to be honest." He admitted.

"Well, that is okay I suppose. I can fill you in on a little bit." Ryou said.

"Thank you." Yugi offered beforehand.

"Well, the Duelist World Grande tournament is divided into two sections. There is a solo course and a team course. Everyone begins in the team course, and if they lose they get a second chance in the solo course. Each has its own prizes."

Well, that explained why the tournament was supposed to be two weeks long, Yugi supposed. To do all of that would take some just wasn't sure whether he liked the idea or not. In the past a loss was a loss and that was that. It could be interesting to see how this played out. Just as long as no wealthy maniacs or people with evil split personalities showed up.

"Well...do you have a teammate?" Yugi offered.

Ryou looked embarrassed, "No. I...I did not know anyone I knew was coming. I had planned on finding someone once I was there."

"Well, we can be teammates then." Yugi said decisively.

He had to bite his lip as Ryou replied with an absolutely adorable excited and almost relieved smile. When Ryou lifted his hand flatly Yugi met it and the two hi-fived. Then they both laughed at how silly it was to be doing so sitting down on a plane.

"You know," Yugi reflected out loud, "I think this whole tournament is going to be a lot better than I thought it would."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two.**

 **Of course I don't own Yugioh. Should have said it with the first chapter. If I did own Yugioh I don't think I'd be quite as content to let some of the things rest as they did.**

 **As it is, I must be content just working with what I am able.**

 **Now this chapter seems a little of topic, but don't worry. We'll get back to our main casts soon enough. Not that I'm being particularly subtle about what is going on here.**

 **Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys.**

There were few things in the world quite as satisfying as kicking off a pair of hot shoes after a long day of walking around the city.

Ayer couldn't help but to sigh in utter contentment as he did just that. The bamboo flooring was cool against his socked feet. Inhaling deeply through the nose he took a moment to just lean back against the door and relax. The straps of the nylon back in his right hand felt heavy, but the sweet air conditioning was such a relief as a typical Japan summer closed in. For the first time since he had stepped out that morning he didn't feel that grimy, nasty sensation of humidity and sweat suffocating him.

Exhaling slowly he looked down and noticed there were only one pair of shoes on the mat, "I guess Saburo hasn't gotten back from work yet."

The young man took a moment to twist the bolt lock behind him before padding into the apartment proper.

There wasn't much to look at.

The sitting room was very typical of a low end apartment in any city of Japan. The walls white with only a few penciled drawings to decorate them, and the floor covered in tatami mats. As far as furniture went the only real piece to be seen was an old kotatsu table that used a torn phone book to support two legs that weren't quite the right height. The entertainment table was actually just a plastic tub, and the coffee table was once again just a plastic tub.

Ayer made his way over to another plastic tub. This one was squeezed into a corner not far from a traditional Japanese futon that had probably been new a few years before. He placed the bag of textbooks. They made a loud thump as they fell over. His chestnut brown eyes turned to them worriedly for a moment, and with a worried sigh he quickly picked the bag up and dug through it a moment.

"Wouldn't want you to get too beat up." He told an envelope before kissing it and setting it on the futon.

Then he was at the tub again. The top popped as he pried it back, and then he was looking at a pile of clothes. Most of them of the same exact style he was already wearing. A fashion most people would say crossed the line of casual and formal rather than straddled it. He sorted through it to find what he was looking for. In this case just pajamas. There was only one pair and they were hardly difficult to find. Once they were in his hand, as well as a pair of socks and boxers, he popped the top back on.

Ayer knew that there were no doubt many people in the world who would see his living situation as less than ideal. If his own parents learned of it he would never hear the end of it. He slept on what to many people in the western world would see as a small comforter in what in the western world would have been the living room. Meanwhile the guy he shared the apartment with had an actual bedroom to himself. A guy he had met over the internet not a month ago. Ayer did not have even a bicycle to get around on, and honestly just about everything he owned could be squashed into a few bags and carried on his back.

Yet, at the same time, he could not but smile as he looked down at the books in the bag by the tub. As far as he was concerned his life was the best it had ever been and those text books were proof of that.

Ever since he was a child Ayer had dreamed of going to Japan. Getting away from France and going anywhere else in the world would have been good enough. To see something new, and learn something new, and to just get away from his parents and his siblings was a lovely thought. Japan had always held a special place in his heart with its architecture, overwhelming cities, and even its wildlife. Two years ago he had thought that ever actually stepping foot in the country would have been an impossibility. There was no way he could afford it or that his parents would invest in him doing something other than becoming a doctor. Yet here he was in Japan. Tokyo Japan. The big city. He had a roof over his head, a friend he could trust, and in a few weeks he would begin classes at the Tokyo University of the Arts.

Then there was the envelope lying on the futon. He had just hardly had the chance to read it in the envelope on the way up the elevator, but just thinking about it sent his heart racing and a cheesy grin across his face.

The Duelist World Grande Tournament.

The name was a little silly, but the important part was that he had been accepted. Already tickets were set aside and by Sunday morning he would be on a plane heading to a private island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Then by Monday morning he would be participating in the largest duel tournament he had ever been a part of. Perhaps the largest duel tournament the world had ever known.

At the age of twenty-one he was already living one of his dreams.

How could he possibly complain about his living conditions?

"I need a shower. Shower first, and then something to eat." The young man muttered to himself as he turned on his heel and headed towards the shower.

As with many lower end Japanese apartments, the arrangement for the bathroom was a little different to what someone from the west would be used to. The sink, toilet, and tub each had their own separate rooms. The latter considered a unit as the walls, floor, and ceiling were prefabricated with a materiel that shrugged of the splattering of water with little concern.

Ayer disrobed in the room with a sink. His old clothes were left in a neat pile to one side, his clean clothes on a stand to another, and his glasses positioned on the sink so they would not fall. Then, after ensuring Saburo had not returned in that brief moment, he made his way to the furo. Once there he turned the water on, waited until it was as hot as it could get, and began bathing himself with the aid of a wand. Fingers bruised and shaped from years of handling pencils and more recently styluses combed through long nearly platinum blond hair. Shampoo was rubbed into his scalp and he used a washcloth to scrub down the rest of his body with a body wash that he had just recently purchased.

"Have to be squeaky clean for tomorrow. That is going to be one long plane flight." He reminded himself as he scrubbed behind his ears.

Just the thought of it left him excited. Perhaps it was cutting it a little close to his first classes, but Ayer found that he had a thousand excuses as to why that was perfectly acceptable. The first being that he hadn't been in a proper Duel Monster's tournament in over half a year.

"Guess I should just consider myself lucky they chose to invite me at all." His voice echoed in the room with plastic walls, floor, and ceiling.

Of course his ego didn't like the idea so well. He was a fairly well accomplished Duelist. One of the few around who had gotten their feet wet with the first booster packs to be released in France. At one time he had nearly every Duel Monster card ever released in French, Japanese or English. Then in the last few years he had taken second and third place in quite a few tournaments in Paris. Of course silver and bronze were hardly romantic, but they still meant something.

These days his card collection was hardly what it once was. He only had two-hundred cards or so, and nearly half of those he only kept because of nostalgia and an appreciation for the artwork. Selling the rest was partially how he had managed to make it to Japan in the first place. Still, it was with high hopes of success that he looked forward to the tournament. Perhaps he wouldn't win first prize, but second place and third place still left him drooling. Cards specifically designed for the Duelist World Grande Tournament would quickly find their place in his binder.

Rinsing off, Ayer debated a soak. His feet were still aching and his back a little sore from a morning of running around like a headless chicken. Certainly his muscles would enjoy a nice minute of relaxing after he had jogged most of the way to campus.

His thoughts were cut off as his stomach disagreed loudly.

"Alright, alright. I'll skip the bath. Dinner first." He said aloud to appease his belly.

Feeling thoroughly soap free the lean young man wrung out his hair and tried to knock most of the water off. Once he was convinced he wouldn't leave too much of a trail he opened the door, leaned out, and grabbed a towel left on a wrack just outside of the furo. With it he quickly dried off before wrapping it around his head and retreating back to the room where he kept his change of clothes.

"I probably should check my cards one last time. I would hate to get all the way there and find out I forgot something important."

He dressed quickly and kept his wet hair off of his shirt. Then he put on his glasses once again and checked the mirror a few dozen times to ensure they still looked decent. After he was out the door and heading for a closet at the end of the hall. He had hardly gotten past the sliding door to the bedroom when he was brought to a stop by a sound.

"Mrow."

Ayer blinked in utter confusion at the sound. He paused mid-step and looked around as if expecting to find the source to be a part of the walls or the floor itself. Realizing how silly that idea was he set his foot down. A little stiffly he turned around and walked back to the sliding screen door. To his surprise he found that it had been pushed open by a few inches.

"I could have sworn Sabaru left it closed." He muttered to himself as he slid it open far enough to get a look inside.

The room was by far the most obviously lived in. To one corner was a twin sized American styled bed, and across from it a table with an older flat screen television on it. There was a dresser to one side with the top covered in anime and manga. Then to another corner was a desk with only a handful of pencils, pens, and other utensils one might use when studying as well as a laptop. Ayer hardly looked at any of this. His eyes were stuck on the bed.

"Meorow." The cat said once more.

Ayer blinked hard. Then he blinked again and tried shaking his head to dispel what had to be some kind of hallucination. The cat was still there.

"How in the world did you get in here? Saburo didn't let you in. He hates cats."

She was a gorgeous feline. A true Japanese tobi mi-ke complete with a pom-pom tail. For the most part she was white, but patches of brown and black were scattered along her back and her legs. From where Ayer stood she certainly looked healthy. Obviously someone took good care of her. Yet there was no collar of any sort around her neck.

When he spoke she twisted her head curiously like a confused puppy. It was absolutely adorable, and Ayer could hardly help but to smile. Then he laughed as he realized what the problem was.

"Ah," He said as he switched from French to Japanese, "I suppose it would help if I spoke a language you understand, right?"

The feline absolutely purred. As he walked towards her she actually stood up and watched him expectantly. Obviously she was no wild cat. Still, he was a little wary of being too direct. The question of how she had even got into the apartment bewildered him. More importantly he didn't want to frighten her.

"We need to get you out of here, Miss Pretty. If Saburo finds you here he'll call animal control on you. Might even think I brought you here and kick me out. Neither of us wants that." Ayer said as he knelt down by the foot of the bed.

The cat watched him with that same curious glint. The purr resonating from her chest filling the small room. When he reached out a hand and laid it flatly on the bed to give her something to sniff she looked down upon it with the air of a queen watching a servant bow before her.

Then, very suddenly, something seemed to come over her. She straightened her posture and rolled her shoulders. A very serious and deliberate expression entered her eyes. The curiosity and cat like posturing vanished. Her movement was sleek but very business like as she began to stride across the bed from the foot of a pillow to where the young man was. Each step deliberate and calculated. Ayer could hardly do more than to watch with surprise as she passed his outreached hand without even a glance. The expression on her face turning solemn and almost sad as she came to a stiff stop some five inches from his face and sat down. This too passed to be replaced by nothing but a sheer hard resolve.

The last thing the young man saw was her pink toes as her paw reached out for his forehead.

* * *

On the other side of the world another young man was eyeing the clock on the side of the old computer monitor tiredly.

"How can it only be eleven o' clock?" He asked the small digital numbers.

The best answer they could give was that it was technical thirty-seven minutes past eleven o' clock. Other than that they were simply doing their job. Relaying the time they received from whatever information relay they were connected to. Perhaps at some point someone would appreciate the effort. The young man sitting behind the counter would not be that someone.

Huffing to himself, Naji leaned back on the stool he had been sitting on ever since he was a little boy and had to climb the rungs just to get his bottom on the cushion. In those years since then it had been sewn, taped, and a few of the rungs had gone missing. It wasn't nearly as comfortable as he remembered it being. Yet he hardly had a choice.

"Why don't we have any customers?"

"Because no one wants cheap vacuums anymore." Naji replied as he side eyed the old man.

More specifically _his_ old man. Though a stranger would hardly think they were related. Naji had a darker skin tone that was darker than that of an almond from long days in the sun. Hair that was a smoke white grew thickly on his head despite the fact he had only just turned twenty-one within recent months. Then there was his body, tailored from years of hard work doing whatever job could bring him money. Whether it was running errands across the busy streets of Alexandria, butchering beasts, or climbing trees for an old woman who promised a few dozen Egyptian Pounds to save her cat.

Meanwhile his father was a scrawny thing bent over a cane that was part wood and part horn from some antelope. Age and ever declining health turned his once rich brown skin to a sickly color. The few hairs he had left on his head were so thin it was hard to tell what color they were, but silver hair lined his chin even whiter than his son's hair.

"What's that?" The old man asked as he hit a cigarette.

"I said, no one is interested in cheap vacuums anymore old man. They don't want your tiny microwaves and overpriced washing machines either."

The old man snorted, "Don't give me that! didn't you go to that fancy schooling to learn how to sell?! Get out there and sell! At your age I could have moved everything in here within a week!"

"I went to a vocational school to learn how to repair this crap and some carpentry to make money on the side. Both, may I remind you, have paid the bills these last few months."

The old man snorted again. Still smoking his Dunhill he wobbled towards the shop windows that looked across a busy street. Cars of all types and occasionally the odd horse or mule slowly moved by. Taxis tried desperately to get terrified passengers to their destination at any cost. On the other side several open shops selling shirts, trinkets, and quickly fried foods were swarming with tourists. In a place like Alexandria there was hardly ever any shortage of people willing to waste their money. The question was how to bring them in.

"If they hate the vacuums so badly then why doesn't any of your little," He paused to wave a cane at the display of carved decorations in one window, "Wood things ever sell?"

As if the gods were just waiting to laugh in his old fool face the sheep bell tied around the door rang. A young woman with pale skin and a scarf recently bought at one of the outdoor stores walked in. She did not even give a look to the blenders, mixers, or toasters. Without hesitation and not even so much as a polite hello she walked around the senior Mahfuj and plucked one of the 'wood things' from the display. Heels clicking she shuffled towards the register. There was that condensing smile as always. The kind foreigners, especially those from Europe and America had when the visited. The one where they seemed to think they were doing everyone a great service as they patted themselves on the back for being such great people for buying junk.

"May I ring that up for you ma'am?" He offered in his best English.

Which was choppy and made him despise his own voice, but money was money. It seemed to work as the woman relaxed ever slightly. She stretched out to put the box on the counter as if afraid Naji would grab her by the arm and run off with her like some wild creature. The young man ignored the gesture to quickly type in the information to account for the sold object on the old computer, and then to activate the card machine as the woman shuffled through her purse as if afraid he might learn her bank number if she weren't careful enough. After eyeing the card machine as if it might rear up and rob her blind she finally swiped her card. Then without so much as a thank you she grabbed the box, nearly ripped the receipt from Naji's hands, and was out the door.

"Hrm, and how much did you get?" Mr. Mahfuj asked as he wobbled back over.

"Fifty-seven."

"Fifty piastres?" The old man snorted in disdain.

"Fifty-seven U.S dollars." Naji said smugly.

In a way it was rather funny. Three months ago when he had first began making the jewelry boxes he had put his heart and soul into designing them. Just finishing one had been the work of nearly a week. A part of the preparation just gathering inspiration from his home city and applying it in an appealing way to the wood. Everything had to be absolutely perfect and while it was hardly of expert quality it was certainly something he had seen as worth selling. The kind of product that could proudly be placed in the front window as people from numerous countries passed by. He had set the price at one-hundred eighty piastres or about ten U.S dollars. Considering the cost of wood, but not even accounting for the tools, he had only been making about one dollar profit. They sat in the windows for days without a single person so much as giving them a second glance.

Frustrated he had given the last box he had designed from the batch of wood no consideration. He had smacked it together and only tailored it so that it wouldn't give anyone splinters. Rather than showering it in details, he had painted a black camel on the top and left it at that. He hadn't even bothered to find a picture to make sure it was accurate in the least. Just to spite the tourists he had thrown a thirty dollar price tag on it. Not ten minutes after he had placed it on the counter it had been sold. The wealthy man from some country within the U.K asking if there were more, and if not he would be willing to pay twice the price to have them made. Apparently there was something about it being 'authentic local craftsman ship.' Leaving Naji fully comprehending the vendors across the street for the first time in his life. Why bother to make lovely thoughtful work when you could beat something together for half the effort and twice the retail?

At this point Naji just raised the price a dollar every time he made one just to see what the stupid tourists were willing to pay. Between that and the brooding look his father got as he began making his way to the back of the store he could almost survive the long days stuck behind the counter with nothing to do.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. You're the one who'll have to run this shop the next two weeks." Naji said with a laugh.

"What?" His father barked.

"I'm going to that tournament. Remember?"

"You and those stupid cards! If you didn't waste so much money on those you could afford a car, or maybe a woman!"

"Says the old shit who smokes twelve packs of cigarettes every two days."

"Hrn, so when do you leave? I'll be glad to get your mouth out of my ear!"

"I'll be gone by tonight. I'll be leaving after dinner."

"Good!"

With that Mr. Mahfuj was through the door and in the back of the shop once more. The sound of his cane's muffled clicking stopped once he found his old seat. Then the television was on loud enough that anyone walking in would be able to distinctly hear the latest episode of El Kabeer Awy. A recorded episode of course. His son rolled his eyes with the fond smile of someone who was used to putting up with an asshole and still managed to be fond of that asshole despite their tendency. Covering a yawn he turned back to the shop and glanced at the door to ensure no one was coming in.

Then he nearly fell off of the stool.

"The Hell did you come from?" He barked with anger in hopes of hiding the surprise and fear.

"Mrow." The cat said as it effortlessly leaped onto the counter.

She was a light gray cat covered in black spots and seemed to have a distinct well groomed gleam to it. The frame was lean but well conditioned. She certainly was not starving on the streets. Naji had enough knowledge to know that she was an Egyptian Mau. A breed that the tourists oogled and even some of the wealthier people around town wanted to get their hands on. In his opinion they were too flighty and why one cat would be any different than any other cat was beyond him. Still, to see one in the shop without so much as a collar around its neck had him lifting a brow.

"Get out of here cat, this isn't a pet shop." Naji swiped at it with a catalog halfheartedly.

It wasn't that Naji disliked cats so much as he had a tendency to dislike anything or anyone that startled him. Growing up on the rougher side of a city tended to do that to people. Even then he had no intention of hurting the beast. At worst he just wanted to scare it as well. Maybe convince it go back however it had gotten in and find a cool spot to rest, find food, or whatever it was after elsewhere. This was no place for an animal. Especially if his father returned. The old man _did_ hate cats, and if he found it he would have absolutely no problem with killing it. There was nothing quite as stomach churning as listening to a cat screaming in agony as it was beaten to death by a cane.

The cat hissed and ducked. Despite its seemingly tame nature it was certainly quick on its four paws. With a display of white teeth and a swipe of claws she nearly had him. Just as Naji was about to get angry the cat lunged. Naji swung an arm out instinctively and his hand caught the feline in the ribs. He felt something akin to a static shock and his world went dark.

* * *

" _Well, it seems we are finally getting some pieces on the board._ " A voice purred from a figure whose bright green eyes stared intently into what seemed to be a large flat pond in the center of a very old but well tended stone temple.

" _Can we truly call them_ _our pieces?_ _I would trust a wild beast before I would trust that one. Either of that one. At least I would know what a wild beast seeks."_ A second figure said as he quirked his head in a rather strange manner.

 _"I believe we've already discussed this. I will not stand about and listen to you slay the slain. If we were capable of eating our cake and having it too, as some human mortals are so fond of saying, then we would not be in this position to begin with. As it is we have no where to turn."_ Said yet another figure who had a long curled protrusion from his face that looked very similar to that of a bird's beak.

" _Besides,"_ the first voice cut in with a note of pride to her voice, _"Khait and Tamiko are more than capable of keeping them in line. They are both experienced with these sorts of...duties."_

The two other figures gave the woman some serious side eye. For a moment it seemed as if they were debating on bursting her little bubble. Instead they turned to the forth figure looking into the pond which had a surface like a mirror and yet displayed scenes clearer than the best of modern display screens in the hands of any human. Of them she was the only one with a complete human like appearance. Ebony hair fell to her shoulders so dark that it nearly looked blue in the light that poured in through open skylights in the ceiling. Her flesh was of a lighter brown tone and her eyes seemingly darker than any pit. A band of leather painted a blood red held a large ostrich feather to the side of her head.

 _"And what is your thought on this, Ma'at?_ "

" _I think that the best we can do now is sit and watch. We've played our only hand. Now we just have to ensure that we help when we are capable. Perhaps if we had done so sooner we would not be here._ " Was her solemn response.


	3. Chapter 3

**Another chapter, woot!**

 **Still don't own Yugioh, Duel Monsters, or any of the related merchandise.**

 **Hope everyone enjoys**

* * *

The flight was mercifully short.

Ryou noted that as the plane began to finally descend it had only taken about five hours to get from the Domino City International Airport to Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Nearly half an hour of that was just waiting for the pilot to find a place to land when there were so many planes coming and going. From the look of things with the tournament taking place the Manila airport was seeing much more traffic than it was used to. There was just a moment that, straining to see over the guy who had actually gotten the window seat, Ryou was briefly able to see a few sights. For just a moment there were green tropical islands surrounded by deep blue waters, then towering skyscrapers surrounding by smaller buildings, and finally black tarmac littered with other planes as well as trucks running about.

In all it hadn't been too bad of a trip he supposed. It had been just past ten o'clock in the morning when they had taken off, and now thanks to the change in timezone it was almost as if it had taken only four hours to arrive.

At the same time he could not help but to sigh in relief as he laid his carry on bag down and collapsed onto a couch. The air conditioner was blowing full stop and he could feel its icy fingers caressing his sweaty neck, arms, and back. The feeling of being grimy and just plain terrible after hopping from a plane, to a limo, to a ferry, to a smaller island, to another boat, to this island alongside Yugi left him wrinkling his nose in disgust. Even with his shoes having been left by the door his socked feet felt hot and terrible.

"It's worse here than it is in Domino. How is it more humid here than it is in Domino?" Yugi groaned from a recliner.

"It is the rainy season here too." Ryou 's voice was muffed by the seat.

Yugi made a noise as if he were sobbing. The difference being that he had fallen onto his back and so his voice seemed too loud. The room was so big. Too much money, and furniture, and things that were so nice. Just like everything ever since Yugi had convinced them that he was not going anywhere without Ryou. The teen was almost afraid to breath for fear he might scratch the clear coat on something and find himself buying it. They hadn't even seen the bedrooms yet. They were in just some kind of sitting room.

"I call dibs on the room to the left." Yugi said as he weakly lifted a finger.

"Your left or my left?" Ryou asked.

There was a long moment of silence as Yugi through this over, "Your right, my left."

Ryou nodded.

It wasn't as if he terribly minded. This was a two-bedroom room. A top of the line type by what little he had seen so far. Certainly the full kitchen they had was far superior to the one at his own comparatively puny apartment. If there was one thing in the hotel room he could bring back with him after the trip it would have been that refridgerator. So it would have been quite the surprise to him to find that the two bedrooms were very different. In fact he had a feeling they were nearly if not completely identical. Certainly he suspected that both at least came with an individual shower. If not he would be very disappointed.

"Hey Ryou," Yugi said with a moan as he pushed himself up to a proper sitting position, "What did they say these watches are for?"

Ryou didn't look up, but he could imagine Yugi poking at it. They had received identical watches. A black band, red case, and a completely digital screen. According to Ms. Sato, who had been the one to pick them up from the airport and walk them through everything including the keys to the room, it was many things. What Ryou remembered off the top of his head was waterproof, damage resistant, and most importantly it was basically a mini computer.

"It is what keeps track of our credit and when we win or lose a duel."

"Credit?" Yugi asked tiredly.

Oh, yes. Ryou remembered know. While Ms. Sato had patiently been explaining all of this to them Yugi had been distracted. Somewhere off to the side someone had brought out one of those trading card storage boxes that could hold some thousand cards and Yugi had felt threatened.

"Basically there is going to be someone from basically every country in the world represented here. So to avoid issues with having nearly every currency in the world they decided on a credit system instead."

"Oh." Yugi said flatly as if he clearly did not understand.

Ryou tried not to sigh in frustration. He really wasn't in the mood to explain it all. Especially when there was a pamphlet on it somewhere in his bag. If Yugi was truly so curious then he could read that. Until then he would just have to be satisfied with what Ryou told him.

"Did they say how it works? Like, is it a scanner or what?"

"Honestly, I do not know. I suppose when we go to a restaurant or something they will explain it."

"That's good, I think I'll get a shower now." Yugi said.

"I will too." Ryou agreed.

Seconds ticked by.

Then minutes.

Ryou found himself waiting for Yugi to get up. Then not long afterwards realizing that Yugi was probably waiting for him to get up. It was childish. Ryou knew that the moment he realized what was going on. He also realized that the couch he was on was surprisingly comfortable and he really did not feel like getting up.

Eventually it was as his mother's voice chided him that Ryou finally stood up, " _I know I raised you better than this. Now get up and get washed up! Do not forget to wash behind your ears and between your toes either!_ "

As he had predicted Yugi was not far behind. The two of them wordlessly grabbed their carry on once again and claimed their own luggage that had been so nicely placed to the side of the room. Yugi pulled up his bags and was in his room rather quickly with a final wave. Ryou returned it with the knowledge that the two of them would very likely be seeing each other soon. With there being a dining area in this room he highly doubted there was one in the next.

What laid beyond the door was enough to make the ivory haired young man stumble to a stop. Wide eyed and beginning to wonder whether he was in the right place at all he was slow to begin moving forward again. The soft plush carpet seemed to be making an attempt at devouring his feat. His eyes could hardly be made to pry away from the bedroom itself. Especially the large king sized bed covered in pillows to his left. The room smelled fresh and clean in a very inviting way that was hard to describe.

Wetting his lips he made his way towards the bed and with a little maneuvering put his luggage on top. Now that he was up and moving again he did not want to waste time. The shower was calling his name. He had to get all of the nastiness off of him. Ryou had to get out of the clothes that he had spent the last six or seven hours in.

There was little thought put into the clothes he chose once the top of his luggage was unzipped and tossed back. The short sleeved shirt looked comfortable and the khaki pants weren't terribly creased. Ryou wasn't quite comfortable with going for shorts when the air conditioning in the hotel worked so well and he knew dinner would be soon. As per Ms. Sato it would be served in room. Which sounded absolutely wonderful. Right now just scrubbing down with his favorite soap and maybe even washing his hair sounded even better.

"I just hope they have a shower." Ryou muttered to himself as he brought his clothes with him to the only door in the room.

A smile pulled at his lips as he realized that there was indeed a shower. In fact there was a separate tub as well. The toilet was conveniently out of the way with its own little corner. The sink was not far from it and came with a deep bowl that looked very practical.

"The bathroom is bigger than my bedroom." Ryou noted a little sourly.

Not that he was really willing to complain. Especially not with how he felt at the moment. He knocked down the toilet cover and piled his clothes on top. As Ryou began to undress he noted there was a soft exterior box just beneath the sink. A cautious lifting of the lid revealed that there was a plastic bag inside and a piece of paper taped to the bottom of the lid. In several languages it explained what was going on.

"Oh, I am not so sure I like that," Ryou muttered to himself, "I rather prefer to do my own laundry."

He didn't see any signs of where he could opt out. He highly doubted they would allow him to anyhow. Even before Yugi had managed to drag him into all of the luxury and being treated like proper royalty he had noted that a lot of the pamphlets and fliers had basically stated that there would be no woes at this Duelist World Grande tournament. He remembered quite clearly that hotel rooms, that were probably far less than this of course, were provided at no cost and that every one of the hotels provided basic low cost meals for those who did not wish to waste credit on food.

"This place is weird." Ryou said with a shake of his head before dropping his clothes into the box.

The shower was practically its own room. The floors and walls were tile and there was even a water resistant door. The downside was that there was no way to sneak around the size, turn on the water, and test the temperature before being utterly soaked. He glanced around in hopes that maybe there was some kind of control. Even his pathetic little bathroom at home had temperature controls and the like. So this one had to too, right?

After searching high and low he was disappointing to find out the answer was a resounding no. He really did have no option other than to walk into the shower and hope for the best.

"They go through all of this trouble, but can not even bother to make a comfortable shower." Ryou shook his head.

As he walked into the shower and became aware of the slick small tiles beneath his feet Ryou formed a plan. With a bit of twisting and sucking in his gut as much as possible he pushed himself into the wall beneath the shower head. It was of the type that was in a fixed position which once again left him feeling as if perhaps more planning had gone into everything else in the apartment but the shower. Maybe wealthy people didn't normally use a shower? At any rate he quickly figured out which knobs were hot and which were cold. He turned the hot one and actually jumped a little in surprise with the force of which it shot out of the shower head.

"Well, it certainly has pressure."

Carefully he reached a hand out and touched the spray. Just as quickly he jerked it back. The pressure was rough and the water far hotter than he had expected it to be so quickly. It took a little bit of playing with the knobs but he soon found a temperature he liked. Cautiously, much like a new lamb venturing past its mother for the first time, he left the protection of the area just beneath the shower head and slunk beneath the water.

"Oh gods, _yes_."

The pressure was absolutely divine. While it was powerful it wasn't painful. Instead it seemed to wash away all of the filth and impurities. Not just the nastiness he had picked up since travel, but even everything before then. Before he even applied the soap bar to a wash cloth he felt better than he had the last time he had showered at home. Once the lather actually touched his skin it was like the doors to some wonderful paradise were opening.

Ryou wasn't sure what it was that tipped him off that he had been in the shower awhile.

He supposed it was about the time he was rinsing the shampoo out of his hair and debating on scrubbing down a third time that it crossed his mind that he had only planned on taking a quick shower. In a rather stumbling hurry he managed to get the rest of the suds off, dry his hair with the surprisingly decent hair dryer mounted to the wall, and get dressed in just a few minutes. As he scurried out of the bathroom and to the door an apology was already on his lips.

"Oh..." Ryou said as he looked around the empty living room.

He could hear water running and realized immediately that he had not been the only one to get caught up in the shower. For a moment he debated whether he should try to get Yugi's attention. A glance at a clock by the kitchen area revealed that it was nearly six o'clock. Dinner would be served soon and he knew Yugi would want to eat when it was still hot and fresh.

As he moved to knock on the door to Yugi's room he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. With a bit of surprise he realized the room wasn't entirely empty.

On the dining table were two large baskets. They were easily big enough to be made into a bed for a small dog like a shiba inu. Of course that was only after taking out the piles and piles of stuff in them.

"Where did these come from?" The teenager wondered aloud as he curiously walked to them.

There were tags attached to them. Lifting one he found that under a nearly romantic blurb was Yugi's name. So he moved to the second and wasn't entirely surprised but still quite confused to find his own name.

"What are these for?" He wondered.

Beneath the cellophane there was just so much. What looked to be tropical flowers likely from the Philippines were used to decorate with bright oranges, reds, and yellows. He could make out numerous candies of brands and flavors he had never heard of. There were also various fruits ranging from mangoes, grapes and bananas to sugar apples, durian, and what looked to be jack fruit. Sausages, coffee, pretzels, at least two bottles of wine, and a box of cookies were just what he could see well enough to make out. There seemed to be piles of stuff in the basket and he was curious as to just how much had been spent on it.

As he wondered what to do about the basket it came to his attention that the water was not running from the other shower anymore.

Not long afterwards he heard the fumbling of a hand at the door. Yugi appeared with his hair wrapped in a towel and a watery eyed apologetic look. He looked as if he had tried to dry off a little too quickly as his clothes stuck to him in odd places where he was still damp. One sock was noticeably upside down with the heel on the top of his foot.

"I'm so sorry, Ryou! I-I didn't realize what time it was!"

"Oh, it is okay Yugi. I did the same thing." Ryou waved off easily.

Yugi lifted a brow as he noticed the two baskets and spoke slowly as he approached, "Have they said anything about dinner yet? I'm starved."

"No, but it is not quite six o'clock yet. I am sure we will hear from them soon."

Yugi nodded. Much like Ryou he took a look at the tags. When he noticed that it had his name on it he peered into the basket like a curious cat. First his head went one way and then another as he tried to look at everything inside. Ryou had noted his basket was a little different from Yugi's. Mostly it was in the variety of candies and fruits as opposed to the numbers.

Yugi frowned and let out a small sigh as he took a seat at the table. Ryou couldn't help but note that he was decidedly unexcited about the basket. The way that his violet eyes turned to his feet made Ryou a little worried.

"Is something wrong, Yugi?"

"I'm just thinking, you know? About how much all of this has to cost. How they're paying for all of it. What they're end goal is."

His tone made it clear that it was the last part that worried him more than the first two.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, think about it Ryou. They've invited some five-thousand people from around the world. They're paying to fly these people in and fly these people out. That's on top of apparently having built piratically an amusement park."

Ryou nodded. He had to admit he really hadn't thought much of it. He had just put it down to billionaires being billionaires. When you had so much money then obviously spending a bit of it didn't seem like such a big deal. Besides, it wasn't as if they didn't stand to make a good chunk of money from all of this. As he stopped to think about it he realized that it was probably one great marketing ploy. If things went over well then a lot of people stood to make a lot of money.

"Well, I was thinking that it was like American football. You know they make billions just off of people watching television. Then there's all of the product placements and merchandising. With people from around the world participating in this tournament then people from around the world are going to be watching. I would guess many more than have ever watched American football."

Yugi put a finger to his chin and admitted, "I didn't think about it that way. You know, you're right. With all of those people watching I bet they wouldn't be too willing to try anything either."

Ryou noted that Yugi's tone was more hopeful than certain. Not that he could blame his friend. People were strange and what they were willing to do in the pursuit of money, fame, and power was often terrifying. The both of them had seen many examples of just that first hand. Especially in their earlier years of high school when both of them had rather foolishly walked around with magic items that were thousands of years old dangling from their necks.

Before Ryou could get another thought off of his chest he was interrupted by the ringing of a phone. His first instinct was to look towards his pocket were his cell phone was. When he realized that the ring tone was nothing he had ever picked for the few contacts who actually called him he turned towards Yugi in bewilderment. Yugi seemed to have gone through the same process as his violet eyes met Ryou's chocolate browns. Looking around the kitchen in confusion Ryou realized there was a phone hanging on the wall not far from the refrigerator. A little boxy phone with a long twisted cord much like those that had been common in the early two-thousands. Amidst the new appliances and rather slick modern kitchen it looked entirely out of place. The two boys exchanged a look before Ryou moved to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon. I am calling about the dinner preparations. Our waiters and servers are ready to prepare the meal whenever it satisfied Mr. Moto or Mr. Bakura." A man whose Japanese was a little shaky but whose voice was deep and almost scary spoke.

"Oh? Well, they could bring it up now. That would be great."

"Very well, sir. Your dinner should arrive within the next quarter of the hour. Our servers will present to you a buffet catered specifically for the taste of Mister Moto and Mister Bakura."

"Thank you. Bye."

Ryou hung up the phone before telling Yugi what the man had said. Yugi nodded and leaned back in his chair in the fashion of someone who was far too tired considering he had spent most of the day sitting down. Not that Ryou blamed him of course. There was something unique about the way traveling so far and for so long could wear a person out. Especially when they had been jumping from one seat to the next once the actual plane ride was over. At the time it had seemed to go by so quickly. Now that Ryou really thought about it though he realized they had done quite a bit in that last hour or two between the airport and getting to this room. Getting some hot food and rest was really starting to sound nice.

"You know, after dinner we should probably start working on our decks. We only have a few days until the tournament starts. I would really like to work on having our decks compliment each other."

"That sounds like a plan." Ryou agreed.

"Are ya fuckin' _kiddin_ ' me with this shit?! I ordered over an hour ago! How is it still not ready?!"

Ryou and Yugi both jumped at the voice that somehow managed to pierce through the door to the hallway and into the living room. It sounded as if the person was in the room with them. A very angry young man who sounded as if he were in the room with them. The two exchanged a worried look before Yugi stood and followed Ryou to the door. Ryou noted that out of all of the possible neighbors they could have this one spoke Japanese too. He couldn't help but wonder if it were intentional or coincidence.

"I-I am very appolo-bab-er-sorry," A young man who was dressed in the wine red and silver uniform stumbled all over himself as he tried to speak Japanese, "The men-bal-er-order took stran-er-longer to cors-co-finish than expected."

"And? The food's cold and you didn't even remember my drink!"

Ryou tried to get a look through the eye hole in the door. He had no luck. Whoever was screaming wasn't their neighbor opposite of them across the hall. Yugi knocked back the bolt lock and slowly opened the door as cautiously as he could. The hinges thankfully did not make a noise and the two who were talking were too distracted to notice the two leaning out of their doorway.

The hotel staff was a young man who looked as if he was likely from Europe or somewhere in that area. His red hair was cut short and the sun seemed to be burning his light skin rather than tanning it. Ryou couldn't help but feel some sympathy for him. He had the same problem and knew how much of a pain it could be. In fact Ryou couldn't help but to feel bad for the poor guy all around. He seemed close to tears as the other 'guest' continued to verbally abuse him.

"Oh, I...I will go ame-fix this right now, sir! Please, I-I apolo-mahog-er I am very sorry." The young man who had to be around the same age as Ryou and Yugi fumbled weakly.

"Just forget about it. At this rate I could go down the street and get better service. Get out of here!"

The man who spoke was a little too familiar. He had height and size over Yugi and Ryou both with a fit figure from regular exercise. Golden blond hair framed a somewhat sharp face with almond brown eyes that held a sort of courageous fire. Dressed in khaki shorts and a sleeveless top with several holes in it he he looked rather out of place surrounded by the deep woods and carefully painted walls.

"Joey?" Yugi asked in a tone that was mixed parts surprise and betrayal.

Ryou noted he had taken the towel off of his head and now his wet ebony hair hung damp and limp around his face. Given the right lighting and setting he could make a great monster from a B horror movie. Joey turned to Yugi and for a solid few seconds did not recognize him. A sort of irritation passed across his face. Then recognition hit and a wide smile showed pearly white teeth and true Joey.

"Yug! Hey man, I kind o' figured you'd be here!"

"Where have you been?!" Yugi demanded.

Ryou felt the awkwardness of the situation overtaking him. He wasn't sure whether he should stay to support Yugi, go back inside to avoid the situation, or maybe invite the two into their apartment to keep the situation from attracting too much attention. It was only going to get worse from here. He was sure of that. This was something of a ticking time bomb that just needed something to knock its trigger in a warehouse full of cats.

"Go? Oh...yeah." Joey said awkwardly as he ran hand through the back of his hair nervously.

The young man who was a part of the hotel staff took the moment to slip away. Apparently even he realized this was not a place he wanted to be.

Ryou wished going with him was an option.

The last time anyone had heard or seen Joey had been the last day of school. He hadn't shown up for graduation and Tea had later been able to find out that he'd had it mailed to him somewhere else. They tried calling Serenity but the only thing she knew was that he had been picked up by a sponsor. What that even meant had been nearly three hours of discussion and quite a bit of disappointment on Yuig's part. What it amounted to was that someone had hired him to do something, but he was always so excited talking about it that she hardly knew what. So Serenity had satisfied herself that he was safe and happy so everything was fine. At the very least he didn't seem to be in with some gang or

That had been nearly two weeks ago now.

At this point they had all just been waiting for that call from Serenity. Either an explanation of what was going on or that Joey was dead. Ryou had rather been hoping the tournament would keep it off of Yugi's mind. He supposed in a way now it would.

Yugi's tight lipped look made it clear that he truly was not happy with what he was hearing so far. If he were more of a violent type then his balled fist would have likely hit someone by now. As it was he was shakily keeping it restrained by his side.

"Well, ya see it's like this. A few weeks ago this guy, his name's Takano and he's a representative of Power Rivers which is an online company but that's not important, he recruited me. See?"

"I don't." Yugi said tightly.

"I'm a professional Duelist, Yugi! I'm a part of the Duel Monster Duelist circuit! Before I got the invention to this place I was going to go to a tournament in Seoul, in South Korea!"

Joey was excited about it. Ryou could clearly see it in his face. Someone could grab face paint and add a big clown like grin and Joey would still look exactly the same. Unfortunately the blond still had an issue that when he was so excited he had trouble reading other people. At the same time his energy and cheer was hard to brush off. Yugi cracked a smile. It was feint and he was quick to break it into an even stronger frown. Ryou had seen it, and he was sure Joey had as well.

"Yet you couldn't call anyone? You couldn't write? Text? E-mail? Something? Joey, we were worried about you!"

"I-I'm sorry Yug! I swear I didn't mean to scare ya. I...I guess I didn't really think of what it was like on your end. But, ya know it was my dream. I saw my chance and I grabbed it!"

Yugi crossed his arms and held a firm look. He was losing the fight, but he was unwilling to back down. Not yet. If one thing had worn off on him after the time he had spent with Atem, a whole new level of stubbornness was it. Yugi could be a regular anvil when he wanted to be. Especially when it came to the well being of the people he cared about.

"Look, Yugi. I-I know I could have tried better, but ya gotta understand. I'm not like you. I can't just go to a local college and then apply around to find a job. It was a once in life time opportunity. The guy told me I had to leave that night, else I would lose my change. So, I went with it."

"He was that pushy?" Ryou asked with surprise.

Then again he'd never been approached by anyone who wanted him to duel for money. Every tournament he had ever been in...well technically he really hadn't actually been in a tournament. That had been...someone else. Who, he was fairly certain, hadn't actually ever entered the tournament legally. Ryou supposed that the official Duel Monster circuit was a little different than what the movies led one to believe. As most things were.

"Yeah, basically he was going to somewhere in China next and wouldn't be back for the next year or so. It was either take it or lose it. He offered me an extra 900,000 yen sign on bonus."

Ryou could certainly appreciate that.

Yugi huffed out a sigh. He finally seemed to give in.

"Just, keep in touch okay?"

Joey looked down at his shoes sadly, "Yeah. I...I'm really sorry about that. It's just that...I guess between the traveling, and having to study, and all the other things they have me doin' it's just hard to remember I got to talk sometimes too. I haven't even been calling Serenity like I should. I promise I'll do better from here on out."

With that Joey offered a hand. Yugi grabbed it and shook it firmly with a determined look in his eye. The kind that said that if Joey did not pull through he would ensure that something not so happy happened. What exactly 'not so happy' entailed was a question of its own.

"I'm going to hold it to you then."

"That works with me. Oh, and hello there Bakura. Don't think I didn't see ya."

"Hello, Joey. I am fine." Ryou said with a nod.

"That's good. Kind 'o surprised to see ya here. Didn't really think ya liked tournaments that much. You and Yugi goin' ta be partners?"

"Yes." Ryou nodded.

"So who is your partner going to be? Have anyone picked out?" Yugi asked.

Before Joey could respond the staff elevator let out a quite ping. The doors slipped back and several servers in whine red and silver uniforms hurried out. They made a beeline for Ryou's and Yugi's apartment.

"Tell ya what. Why don't we talk over dinner? I'm sure we'd all rather be eatin' then standin' round here."

The servers were quick at their work. They moved the gift baskets to the respective room of their recipients, had the table set, and the delicious aroma filling the room all in a matter of seconds. Joey plopped his own meal down as the organized chaos continued around him. It was hard to believe, but it seemed that something had changed about Joey in the last few weeks. Ryou could hardly say what. It was just in the way he moved...and the way he had acted before seeing Yugi. That last part particularly had Ryou wondering what had been going on. Joey could be a bit of a bully at times but that had seemed incredibly unlike him.

The food, at least the food prepared for Yugi and Ryou, looked absolutely devine. There was lobster, giant shrimp and a rich abundance of seafood that was likely local to the Philippines. Just in case they weren't in the mood for seafood there was beautifully carved fruit, salads, and a variety of meats. Everything of course styled artfully and decorated in fresh herbs. Even as dish after dish was revealed the servers poured wine.

"Would you like us to stay and tend to you, Mr. Moto?" One of the servers asked.

"Hm? Oh, no. You can go." Yugi said a little nervously.

Ryou held back a sigh of relief. If there was one thing he could not stand it was people hovering over him and staring as he ate.

"Very well sir. Please call the kitchen when you are ready for dessert."

With that the five men left in a file. Each bowing gracefully before the last one closed the door behind him.

"Don't get used to that," Joey said the moment the door clicked shut, "I got here yesterday around noon and they treated me like this. Breakfast they did too. Then at lunch my steak was chewy and the guy serving me could hardly understand me. I think ya heard a bit about how dinner has been goin' so far."

"So what about your partner?" Yugi asked if trying to avoid that subject.

"Oh? Well, let's just say not only do I have one but you know them. Probably be a bit of a surprise to ya too!"

"It's Mai, isn't it?" Yugi asked with a smug smirk.

Joey's jaw dropped as if Yugi had just guessed a fifteen digit number he'd been thinking without a hint. Then he looked over either shoulder as if expecting some kind of mind reading mirror to be giving Yugi answers. With a click of his teeth he turned back to Yugi with a horrible blush across his face.

"H-how did you know?"

"Wild guess." Yugi said as he winked to Ryou.

Ryou chuckled himself. A part of him thought it was a bit odd. There was an age difference between Joey and Mai after all of more than just a few years. Not that he knew how old Mai was, but she certainly had not been a high school student the first time they had met at Duelist Kingdom. He would never have said it aloud but his guess would have been that she was in her twenties back then. Where that put her now was a question he really didn't wish to pry about.

On the other hand his father had been quite a few years older than his mother when they had married. A whole eight years. It would have been rather hypocritical of him to really hold anything against Joey and Mai. Especially when Joey and Mai seemed to hold such a strong bond with each other. They had been through a lot. Certainly if they could suppress their natural urge to bicker then he could see them becoming a formidable team in this tournament. Both of them did well enough on their own in other tournaments.

"So, how are you two doin' in school? I know both of ya got into Domino's community college with no issue."

As Yugi explained the classes he had chosen and how he wish he only had to take the business courses to get the degree he was after, Ryou began searching the table for something to drink. The servers had left two bottles of wine. Yet he saw nothing of anything else. No soda, coffee, tea, or even iced water. What kind of place served wine to people who couldn't legally drink it?

"Something wrong, Ryou?" Yugi asked.

"Oh, I was just hoping there was something else to drink." He admitted.

"Ya know we ain't in Japan anymore, right? In the Philippines the drinking age is eighteen, and we ain't in the jurisdiction of the Philippines anymore." Joey said with that hint of excitement that made it rather obvious that he had every intention of taking advantage of the fact sometime in the future.

"Yes, well I still rather not." Ryou admitted.

Joey opened his mouth to argue but seemed to think better of it, "The fridge should be stocked with stuff. I bet you'll find somethin' ya like in there."

Ryou nodded and stood up. Opening the refrigerator he indeed found an assortment of foods and beverages. The former were things that were already made and only needed at most to be tossed into a microwave. The latter included several juices, two percent milk, and several varieties of soda. Ryou was pleased to find a bottle of Ramune. Melon flavor at that.

"How about you, Bakura? You ever figure out what classes you wanted to take?"

"Sort of. I'm taking a degree in Associate of Arts right now. I am thinking about going for a bachelor degree in history. Maybe even go into archaeology like my father."

Ryou knew he didn't sound particularly enthused. Even talking about it made his stomach tumble and his heart drop. The truth was he had no clue what he wanted to do. His interests were hardly conductive to most careers. He liked cooking, but not so much as to devote his life to it. The best lead he had was in helping Yugi develop that game he wanted to make, but it would be years before they got that off of the ground. Billing companies, his landlord, and the grocery store would not wait years to be paid.

"Well, at least you've got a direction. You never realize how important that is until ya start looking around at these losers who don't." Joey said as he slurped on some noodles covered in some kind of olive oil like dressing and decorated with what looked to be spinach and several types of meat.

The food began to disappear quickly. Some of it seemingly vanishing into thin air. Other parts being scarfed down loudly and violently when one of the three realized it was actually very delicious despite having no clue what it was. By the time plates were beginning to look clean the three of them were actually slowing down. Quite the sight to anyone who had ever seen Yugi, Joey, or even Ryou eat. Despite their thin frames they had the ability to pack away quite a bit of food.

"Oh, that's good. I don't know if I'll be able to go home after this." Yugi sighed as he leaned back in his chair with a stomach that was ready to pop.

"Why's that?" Joey chuckled.

"Because I don't think I'll ever be able to eat grandpa's cooking again!"

The three boys laughed. Though Ryou did catch a sad glint to Yugi's eye. He knew what it was too. It was the same reason he had felt such a struggle in coming to this tournament. The same reason that Joey being missing for the last two weeks hadn't been able to drive him as far up the wall as it would have otherwise.

"So how is gramps doin' anyways?" Joey asked.

The smile on Yugi's face was so forced it hurt to watch, "Okay, I think."

"Don't lie to me, Yug. I know he's actually your grandpa, but he's like a grandparent to me too ya know? He's been more of a father to me than my old man ever was."

Yugi nodded, "He's been using the cane every day for three weeks now. I think it's gotten to the point that he can't get around without it. He tried to make breakfast for me the day before yesterday, and added a cup of flour and half a cup of milk to them. Before I left he wasn't able to recall my mother's name."

There was a grim silence that followed. Ryou found that the pork in his mouth which had been sweet and savory on first bite turned sour and tough by the second. Swallowing hard just to get rid of it he looked to what was left on the plate and found that none of it looked edible anymore.

Joey wasn't wrong. While Yugi's grandfather was biologically his own, Mr. Moto had been a great parent to many of them. While Ryou had only really seen him on any sort of regular occasion within the last year or so, his position was much the same as Joey's. Mr. Moto was at least certainly around more often than his own father, and his advice was usually much more sound as well.

He could remember the night when Yugi had told him that Mr. Moto had gone to the hospital for pains in his left arm. The doctors had feared he was on the verge of a heart attack. After debating on going himself, Yugi had told him it was best just to stay home. It was past midnight after all and what few services ran so late were hardly reliable or safe in a place like Domino. So instead Ryou had spent the rest of the night and then a good part of the morning waiting for news.

The doctors wound up putting Grandpa Moto on some medications. Ryou was hardly a doctor, but he knew most were for reducing blood pressure and the like. With it also came an order to change diet to avoid grease and all of those other foods that clogged arteries and weakened the heart.

That had been the third week of March. By April they had begun to see some...changes in Grandpa Moto. As Yugi described it he seemed slower. Where at one time he could make change at the cash register faster than Yugi could even read what was owed, it had gotten to the point that Yugi could do the math by hand and his grandfather would still be having trouble figuring it out. His writing was getting to the point that it was hard to read, and worse of all was his memory. Especially when he began calling his own family members by other names.

"Mom has been thinking about getting in contact with her sister and seeing if one of my cousins would like to work at the shop. I don't know what she thinks we'll be able to pay them." Yugi sighed.

Joey nodded, "It's rough, dude. I...I wish I knew how to help somehow. If it were a problem that could be dealt with by throwin' money at it I would be more than glad to give ya every penny I got."

Yugi smiled sadly, "I know you would Joey, but I couldn't ask you to. I...just stop by sometime. He might not remember your name but I know he remembers people."

The silence that followed that statement tried to eat them. It was like some kind of giant invisible toad. There were no teeth to it. Just a giant maw that wrapped around them and tried to crush them as it pushed them towards its stomach. The knowledge that only death could follow was so strong that for a long moment no one even bothered to resist. At least until Joey found a way to fight it back.

"You know, to make up for being a total jerk I think we should spend some time together tomorrow. We still got a few days until the tournament. We should see what all this island has."

"That sounds like fun. You want to come, Ryou?"

"Sure." Ryou said.

"Great! We'll go around lunch. It'll probably be rainin' and all, but most of the things they have are indoors anyways. We'll conquer this island by dinner!." Joey said with a fist pump of excitement.

Yugi actually laughed at his enthusiasm and Ryou found himself smiling again too.

"Don't they have a card shop? I think I would like to check that out." Yugi mused.

"Oh, they have all kinds of things Yug! Did ya know they have a diving outfit here? Also about thirty different restaurants, including one that's one a boat with a glass bottom? I tell ya Yug, if this tournament becomes a regular thing I'm going to be here every year." Joey enthused.

"The way it's shaping up it certainly is starting to look like the kind of tournament no one could regret." Yugi agreed.

* * *

In the vast city of Cario in the ancient country of Egypt a family was sitting down to lunch.

The eldest of the two ate slowly. The click of her fork against the plate every few minutes almost unbearably loud in the apartment. She chewed slowly and methodically. There was no joy in her dark eyes. The food seemingly tasteless on her tongue. The only time she stopped moving to robotically put another forkful of kanafeh in her mouth was to brush a lock of ebony hair back behind her shoulder.

Across from her sat a young man who stared at his food with lavender eyes as if he thought it might hold the answers to life. In contrast to his sister his hair was a wheat blond that framed a good part of his face like a lion's mane. One hand gripped a fork so tightly that the knuckles were pale and the other was just balled into a fist. A certain kind of anger seemed to boil just beneath the surface. One that would be hard to miss to anyone with working eyes and any kind of ability to read others.

"Marik, you should eat something."

The blond lifted his eyes and found that his sister wasn't even looking at him. Her eyes were still listlessly on the food.

"I don't think I can." He really did try to keep the anger from his voice but it only made him sound tired.

Which he was. Marik was very tired. On top of being angry, frustrated, and feeling pathetically helpless. Then of course there was also that fear. That terror that he was angry, frustrated, and feeling so pathetic and he might not be in control. That if he did not calm himself down now that something bad would happen. Something terrible.

On the other hand he was sure that if he did calm himself down now he might cry. Which was something he didn't particularly want to do either.

Ishizu wanted to say something. He could feel it. Almost sense it at this point. The words were boiling inside of her and wanted to escape, but for some reason she forced them down. Instead she breathed in deeply through the nose and let it out in a soft sigh. Without as much as saying a word she was back to eating.

Marik knew she was angry as well. No doubt she was just as frustrated with the situation as he was. Who wouldn't be? The entire deal was shitty, and it had been handed to them in a way that was both humiliating and sickening. If the whole last week could just go away things would have been great. Of course things never worked that way. If they did his entire life would have been a whole lot different. Reality was reality and they were just stuck in the situation they were in.

"Marik, eat something. There are still several days until this tournament, and it's going to be two weeks long. If you aren't up to strength then you won't stand a chance." Ishizu said as she finally found her words.

Every word she said was clipped. Her usual patient and eternally strong demeanor crumbling around her. It made Marik feel worse. A part of him wondering if she would wake up in the morning with silver hairs with the way stress seemed to be hovering over her like a storm cloud. After everything she had been through with him Ishizu didn't deserve this. Of course the world cared little about what people deserved or did not deserve.

So it was with a deep breath that he managed to take up a forkful and shove it into his mouth. The usually flavorful food was tasteless today. Everything felt dry and slimy at the same time. It took forever to properly chew it into something that could be swallowed, and once he did his stomach threw a fit.

"Do you think they're being honest?" He asked as he stared down what was left.

"About what?" Ishizu asked quietly.

"About any of it?"

Ishizu was quite for a moment. Marik could nearly see her mind going over the events of the last week. From the first letter that had arrived to the Hell that had happened afterwards.

The first letter had been a rather formal affair. It had been packed in a box. In that box were two envelopes with one being addressed to Marik and the other to Ishizu. They had both received an invitation to some kind of tournament. The Duelist World Grande as it was called. There were so many prizes of huge amounts of money, unique Duel Monster cards, and vacations to exotic locations that it was quite obvious that whoever had come up with it were trying to attract everyone in any possible way that they could.

The two siblings had laughed.

" _They know where we live, but they don't know that the last time we entered a tournament was Battle City._ " Marik had laughed.

 _"_ _I would not be surprised if that is why they decided to invite us. Though it seems strange that our record from so long ago would hold any weight now._ " Ishizu agreed.

Looking back Marik realized it should have been a red flag. No one had bothered to try to send them invites to a Duel Monster tournaments in years. He couldn't even remember the last time he had seen one. It had to have been before he had turned seventeen though. Ishizu had stopped getting them long before then. No one was really interested in someone who hadn't even made it to the top three. Even someone who had made it so far back then shouldn't have been of interest to anyone now. Despite being a card game, Duel Monsters was highly competitive.

Hindsight was twenty/twenty though, and at the time it had not occurred to Marik that it was anything serious. Just another event being held by people with too much time and money and not enough sense. So he had done the polite thing and called up the number on the paper to tell them that he not be attending Monday. The lady on the other side who had spoken common Arabic as if she had learned it from a book had been very kind and understanding. So Marik had foolishly thought that was that.

Just that morning he had been proven wrong.

That was why he was sitting and having lunch with his sister on a weekday when he was supposed to be at work. The Cario Museum did not tend to itself, and in fact had a tendency to be self destructive if not constantly maintained. Ishizu had been ready to tell him as such right up until he had shown her the second letter. The one he had received by hand of a police officer just as he had been passing the large pond filled with lily pads. If it weren't for the police officer delivering it Marik would have just tossed it.

It looked nearly exactly like the envelopes that had come in the box. A very fine paper with the front addressed in a wide hand and a very official seal on the back. Marik had noticed, after looking it over a few dozen times in disbelief, that the seal itself was a little different. Instead of a lion and a goat it was two goats and they seemed to be running in opposite directions of a lion behind them.

The paper work inside had mostly been the same as well. A great detailing of what the tournament was, and how humble the writer was to invite him. He had combed and combed the main letter for any sign of something having changed. It was only when he turned to the prize list that he had seen it and the anger had settled over him like an old brooding hen who had found eggs in her nest. Just below the long list of vacations, money, and cards was a last item with an asterisk. Beside the little five sided star was his brother's name.

Further down was another asterisk. One with an explanation for why his brother's name was on the list. The font was so tiny that he'd actually had to grab a magnifying glass to properly read it.

 _*Only Marik Ishtar and Ishizu Ishtar may claim this prize. In order to be eligible for this prize both individuals must participate in the Duelist World Grande Tournament. If both individuals to not participate in the Duelist World Grande Tournament, this prize will become bunk._

There was something about the way it so casually referred to his brother as a prize that made everything so much worse. Odion was not a fucking prize! He would not allow anyone to both harm his brother and then make him out to be an object to be won like a ribbon!

"Marik, calm down." Ishizu's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I-I'm sorry, Sister. I...I think I'll excuse myself." Marik said quietly.

He tried not to make more noise than he had to in pushing the chair back. The turmoil in his mind was really beginning to become too much. What could he do but to do exactly as they wished? As Ishizu had already stated they apparently had the police in their back pocket. That had been the entire point of having an officer deliver the envelope. A power play. A show that they had no one to go to and no one to trust. Their hands were effectively tied behind their back.

"Try to calm down Marik, please. I know these are trying times but you've been doing very well these last few years."

Pausing at the archway leading through the living room Marik sighed, "I will, Sister. I'm going to."

"At two o'clock I wish to go to the card shop off of Salah Salem." As Ishizu spoke something flashed in her eyes.

If it weren't for his mood Marik might have laughed. He had seen that before. It was rarer than any Duel Monster card and ten times as powerful as any God Card. Ishizu, unlike himself, was not the type to take to anger. She could become mad of course. Especially when he did something particularly stupid or a tourist said something insensitive.

There was a whole world of difference between a mad Ishizu and an angry Ishizu. It was the sort of difference between tepid water and lava.

Somewhere in the world someone was about to learn this difference.


End file.
